Upper Body Workouts With Cable Machines

Cable-based upper-body workouts for adults who want balanced chest, back, shoulder, and arm development using stable straight sets, clear RIR targets, and practical kilogram load progression.
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Workout 1

7 exercises21 sets

Upper Body Cable Hypertrophy Template

Chest, Triceps, Front Delts, Lats, Side Delts, Rear Delts, Trapezius, Biceps, Neck

A cable-only upper-body session prioritizing repeatable straight sets, controlled effort, and progressive overload across pressing, pulling, and arm isolation patterns.

  1. 1
    Cable Bench Press
    anatomy
    anatomy
    1Exercise
    Cable Bench Press

    Rest 2m

    • 110 reps x 30 kgRIR 3
    • 210 reps x 30 kgRIR 2
    • 310 reps x 30 kgRIR 1

    Stop 1-3 reps before failure. If reps drop more than 2 from set 1 to set 3, lower load by 2.5-5 kg next session.

  2. 2
    Cable Lat Pulldown
    anatomy
    2Exercise

    Cable Lat Pulldown

    Rest 2m

    • 110 reps x 40 kgRIR 3
    • 210 reps x 40 kgRIR 2
    • 310 reps x 40 kgRIR 1

    Keep torso mostly fixed and avoid swinging. Add load only after all sets hit rep target at <=2 RIR.

  3. 3
    Cable Lateral Raise
    anatomy
    3Exercise

    Cable Lateral Raise

    Rest 1m 30s

    • 114 reps x 7.5 kgRIR 3
    • 214 reps x 7.5 kgRIR 2
    • 314 reps x 7.5 kgRIR 1

    Prioritize consistent range and no momentum. Increase by the smallest stack jump once all sets reach target reps.

  4. 4
    Cable Rear Delt Reverse Fly
    anatomy
    4Exercise

    Cable Rear Delt Reverse Fly

    Rest 1m 30s

    • 112 reps x 12.5 kgRIR 3
    • 212 reps x 12.5 kgRIR 2
    • 312 reps x 12.5 kgRIR 1

    Keep ribcage stacked and neck relaxed. Reduce load if you cannot pause briefly at peak contraction.

  5. 5
    Cable Triceps Extension
    anatomy
    5Exercise

    Cable Triceps Extension

    Rest 1m 15s

    • 112 reps x 25 kgRIR 3
    • 212 reps x 25 kgRIR 2
    • 312 reps x 25 kgRIR 1

    Lock out with control and avoid shoulder roll-forward. Progress in small stack jumps only when rep quality stays high.

  6. 6
    Cable Biceps Curl
    anatomy
    6Exercise
    Cable Biceps Curl

    Rest 1m 15s

    • 112 reps x 17.5 kgRIR 3
    • 212 reps x 17.5 kgRIR 2
    • 312 reps x 17.5 kgRIR 1

    Use full elbow extension without shoulder drift. Progress by 2.5 kg when all sets are completed at <=2 RIR.

  7. 7
    Cable Shrug
    anatomy
    7Exercise

    Cable Shrug

    Rest 1m 30s

    • 112 reps x 45 kgRIR 3
    • 212 reps x 45 kgRIR 2
    • 312 reps x 45 kgRIR 1

    Avoid rolling shoulders; move only vertically. Keep neck neutral and avoid forcing end-range if uncomfortable.